Young Citizens Research Articles

Accessibility and Utilization of Contraceptives and Its Associated Factors among Students of Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Introduction: The use of modern contraceptives among young citizens has been documented to be effective in reducing STIs, unwanted pregnancies, as well as teenage pregnancy. Therefore, it has become necessary to determine utilization patterns of contraceptive services among young individuals as it is very critical for planning to meet the reproductive needs of young persons. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted using 404 undergraduates from two tertiary institutions. Simple random sampling was utilized in the study. Structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics of chi-square test at p < 0.05. Results: About 53.5% are between 18–22 years with a mean age of 22.62 ± 2.948; 51.5% are males, 88.6% still single. About 51.9% do not have access to contraceptives, and 66.83% are not utilizing contraceptives. Side effect of the drugs, lack of access to modern contraceptives, lack of money to access it and lack of appropriate knowledge of the one to use are major factors for non-utilization. Gender was not significantly associated with utilization of contraceptives (p = 0.204). A statistically significant association was observed between religion of the respondents and utilization of contraceptives (p = 0.013), and between accessibility of contraceptives and their utilization (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There is poor accessibility and utilization of modern contra- ceptives among young people. Individual’s religion and accessibility could influence utilization.

Young people’s lived sexual and reproductive health citizenship: participation and power of youth in Malawi

ABSTRACT This qualitative, focused critical ethnographic study explores how young people’s ‘lived SRH citizenship’ and their active roles realising their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights, shape their agency and participation in decision-making in Malawi. Informed by postcolonial feminist and difference-centred citizenship theories, our findings reveal that age-based power differentials, systems of gerontocracy and a culture of adultism impede bona fide youth involvement in SRH policymaking, making young citizens’ participation more of an illusion than reality. Although democratisation and decentralisation aim to promote youth engagement, SRH policy spaces/processes lack institutionalised processes for integrating youth and remain dominated by donors and government. Collective efforts to build young citizens’ capacity and to support their engagement are essential for realising their active and meaningful participation in SRH decision-making. Recognising youth as equal members of society is vital to expose systemic gerontocracy/adultism, and democratise power to youth in Malawi, and beyond.

Empowering youths through citizen science to address health inequalities in adolescence

Abstract Citizen Science (CS) stands as a beacon of hope in the fight against inequalities in adolescent health, revolutionizing scientific research by involving individuals from diverse backgrounds. Unlike traditional methods, CS transcends academic boundaries, fostering inclusivity and collaboration irrespective of age, nationality, or social status. This approach has gained momentum in adolescent health research, empowering young people as co-researchers from project inception, thereby reducing disparities in health knowledge and access. Studies demonstrate its efficacy in enhancing empowerment and health literacy among participants. YouthChronic is an example of how CS can mitigate health inequalities among adolescents. The project ensures active participation in every research stage by engaging adolescents with chronic conditions as citizen scientists. Open-ended questions facilitate detailed responses, while participation in analysis and dissemination enhances their research involvement and sense of ownership. Through initiatives like YouthChronic, CS is reshaping the research landscape, making it more relevant and impactful to bridge the inequality gap. Young Citizen Scientists’ views on their participation: “As part of YouthChronic, we felt like our experiences with chronic conditions were finally being heard. The researchers were cool-they listened to us, let us be flexible with our participation, and even taught us some research skills. Learning from other peers’ experiences made us feel less alone and gave us new insights. But it’s frustrating that we’re limited by resources. We have big ideas, like running an advocacy campaign, but we need funding to make them happen”. In conclusion, by actively involving adolescents in the scientific process through CS initiatives like YouthChronic, we can reduce inequalities in adolescent health, empower marginalized voices, and pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future in scientific exploration and discovery.

A qualitative study revisiting the theoretical lens of brand image and developing the consumer brand image schema

Purpose Brand image remains a “nebulous” construct with very few frameworks dedicated to understanding the process of uncovering brand image. This is supported by explicit calls for greater clarity on how to examine brand image, particularly in different settings. Political branding is one setting that has received some attention, however, research has focused on “party” political brands and neglected “non-party” brands (independent candidates). Therefore, this study aims to examine how young citizens interpret independent non-party brands through the theoretical lens of brand image in the context of Guernsey and develop a systematic brand image framework that provides greater clarity to this topic area. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative interpretivist approach using focus group discussions was adopted to investigate the phenomenon from the perspective of young voters 18–24 years of age. Focus group discussions ceased upon reaching theoretical saturation and a six-staged thematic analytical strategy was adopted to analyse the findings. Findings This study revealed deep insight into the political brand image of non-party brands from the perspective of young voters in an under-explored context. More specifically, this study uncovered that Guernsey’s political brands were seen as “accessible”; however, there was little differentiation, identification and connection between young voters and politicians. Further, this study uncovered a series of opportunities for strategists such as the desire for a younger generational view and younger representation in the Guernsey Parliament and greater clarity, distinction and authenticity related to political brand image. Originality/value This study addresses explicit calls for further research on brand image with a distinct focus on non-party political brands. Further, this study concludes by presenting the “consumer brand image schema”; a systematic framework which can be used to uncover brand image within and beyond the setting of politics. Further, the framework operationalises the complex concept of brand image and provides a three-stage process to examine and develop brand image. This will enable strategists to develop targeted strategies and adopt appropriate tactics to manage brand image to ensure brands are differentiated and interpreted as authentic, relatable, engaging, accessible and identifiable.

Growing green: Exploring the drivers of citizens’ participation in Italian urban and peri-urban forestation governance

Urban and peri-urban forests (UPUFs) are essential components of urban landscapes that offer multiple benefits to local communities, above all to those who live in large cities. This realization has fueled the interest of the scientific community in understanding citizens’ attitudes and perceptions towards UPUFs, focusing on the diverse ecosystem services they provide in social and environmental terms. However, less attention has been paid to the citizens’ perceptions and attitudes about UPUFs in relation to their willingness to participate in their governance. This quantitative study aims to address this gap by identifying the main factors that affect citizens’ participation in UPUFs governance. Conducted in large Italian Metropolitan Functional Urban Areas, composed of a city and its commuting zone, with a population above 500,000 inhabitants, this study provides valuable insights into citizens’ willingness to participate in UPUFs governance. Results indicate that citizens' socio-demographic factors (especially education, age, and income) and the frequency of visits impact their perception of UPUFs. High positive perceptions of environmental quality and low perceptions of the negative impact of UPUFs promote active participation in governance, especially among young citizens with heightened green space sensitivity, among those dissatisfied with current green space management and those advocating for effective communication campaigns. These findings can provide a practicable scientific reference for municipalities to refine their corresponding decision-making and communication, and to devise effective urban forest programs.

Membangun Wawasan Global Warga Negara Muda melalui Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Global di Indonesia

This article aims to describe the global insights of young citizens and the conceptual framework of global citizenship education in Indonesia. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach with a literature study method carried out through several stages ranging from collecting, analyzing, to interpreting data from various written sources, such as books, journal articles, research reports, and other documents. Global insight includes not only knowledge of international events, but also an in-depth understanding of how those events are interrelated and impact everyday life in different parts of the world. In this era, young people must be able to think critically and be adaptive to global changes, as well as have high social awareness to be able to contribute positively in a global society. Global awareness includes cultural awareness, interconnectivity, global identity, social responsibility and critical thinking skills. All these dimensions aim to equip youth with the necessary skills to participate in a global society and deal with international issues. In the Indonesian curriculum, global citizenship education needs to be integrated with relevant approaches through thematic learning, collaborative projects, and the use of technology, aligned with the standards set by UNESCO to encourage awareness and active participation in global issues. This approach includes a number of key elements designed to improve learners' understanding, skills and attitudes in an interconnected global context.

Storytelling and good relations: Indigenous youth capabilities in climate futures

AbstractHow can we support young citizens facing chaotic climate futures? This question is urgent, particularly for Indigenous communities who face disproportionate risks and impacts of climate change. For the past three decades, climate‐related education has focused largely on the acquisition of scientific knowledge in instrumental ways, while encouraging individual behaviour change. This approach centres the problem rather than human capabilities to generate solutions, which is especially misaligned with the increasing practice and significance of Indigenous communities’ regenerating self‐determining capabilities. This article reports on a pilot study that uses intergenerational storytelling methods or pūrākau to support leadership capabilities among Indigenous Māori and Pacific young people aged 10 to 14 years in communities at high risk of flooding in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand. The study showed how storytelling locates and scaffolds Indigenous young people into positions of individual and collective responsibility for grappling with “wicked problems” such as climate and injustice and climate‐related challenges as part of the future they will inherit and shape within a broader intergenerational journey of resilience and reclamation.

Dismissed or Acclaimed for Breaking Norms: The Discursive Positioning of Young Active Citizens in Czech Online Media

Despite new affordances available since the mainstreaming of digital media in countries with high levels of internet connectivity, young actors in teenage years are a group whose involvement in social and political affairs remains constrained by prevailing stereotypes regarding the social role of youth and acceptable forms of civic engagement. This paper explores the discourse on youths’ active citizenship found in Czech online media outlets, conceptualised as adult-governed spaces. Considering age as a significant exclusionary category in approaches to citizenship, the discursive construction of young active Czech citizens is studied on six concrete local actors and analysed via two types of relational positioning: (1) intra-generational (youth-to-youth) and (2) inter-generational (youth-to-adult). Media representations reveal normative expectations of youth as political actors that range from a refusal to recognise their participation to acclaiming them for it. Depending on the intersection of the actors’ agendas, their personal profiles, and the political orientation of the media outlets, the media depict the actors either negatively as deviant or positively as exceptional, reflecting contemporary ideo-political conflicts in Czechia. The paper concludes that the young age of the actors serves as an amplification factor for discreditation of a counter-attitudinal political agenda.

How Do Age and Attitudes Affect the Quality of Data Collected by Young Citizen Scientists in an Ecological Research Project?

Citizen science is increasingly used to collect ecological data. Specifically, participation of school students in authentic research has been suggested as having a multitude of benefits from serving as data collection to providing science education. Nevertheless, the overall quality and quantity of data is concerning for ecologists who are using data for research. In the Helsinki Urban Rat Project, lower- and upper secondary school students (13-19-year-old) collect data on urban rat occurrence using track plates that record rat footprints. I measured the success of school-aged citizen scientists in collecting and submitting data, and I determined the accuracy of the data they submitted by comparing their results to the results from professional researchers. Furthermore, I used additional questionnaire to relate success and accuracy to student attributes, including age, attitudes about biology as a school subject, interest in the environment and disgust sensitivity toward rats. I learned that, in contrast to results from previous studies, age was not a significant variable but rather available support from a teacher and voluntary participation with rewards were associated with higher data quality. Additionally, attitudes played a part in observer quality: higher liking of biology as a school subject was associated with lower accuracy, whereas a higher interest in the environment was associated with higher accuracy. The young citizen scientists provided broadly accurate data, although false-positive observations were comparatively common. The results suggest that the quality and quantity of citizen-generated data are not straightforwardly dependent on the selected target groups. Citizen science activities should be planned by careful consideration of the context as, for example, the organization of the participation strongly shapes the participatory activities.

YOUTH OF KAZAKHSTAN: NAVIGATION INTO THE FUTURE (BASED ON THE RESULTS OF AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH)

The crises of the last several decades highlight the fragility of many societies, emphasizing a complicated and uncertain future. These concepts focus researchers' attention on identifying and mitigating the risks and potential effects of unforeseen events on society. The article offers the findings of focus group discussions about the future among young Kazakhstani citizens, ages 18 to 29. The authors identify important trends and images of future through discourse analysis. In Kazakhstan-2044, political freedom and freedom of speech are considered to be essential political values. The primary issues facing society in the future might be corruption, emigration—particularly of educated youth—and people's disregard for their professional obligations. The significance of intelligence, knowledge, and advanced technology are recognized as the most societal factors in the development. The ideas of this paper can be used in various fields, including politics, economics, and social aspects.

Critical literacy of young citizens in the digital era

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A population-based repeated cross-sectional study using administrative health data to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental wellness in citizens of the Métis Nation of Ontario

Objective and ApproachThe COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented levels of mental unwellness and yet there are no reports to date that share Métis-specific data. Our study examined changes in patterns of mental and addictions-related (MHA) outpatient health service utilization using population-based data on Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) citizens before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Administrative health data in Ontario, Canada between 2017 and 2022 was linked with the MNO's Citizenship Registry (2022) under an existing Data Governance and Sharing Agreement. Monthly rates of MHA outpatient visits were compared between the pre-COVID-19 period (March 2017 to February 2020) and post-COVID-19 onset (March 2020 to December 2022), and rate ratios comparing observed and expected rates were derived using Poisson generalized estimating equations. Stratifications by age and sex were examined. Results and ConclusionAmong 28,400 MNO citizens (50.3% male; median age 44 years; 28.3% living rurally), the average monthly rate of MHA outpatient visits was 47.4 per 1000 population pre-COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the observed MHA outpatient visit rates were 13% higher than expected (RR=1.13; 95% CI: 1.02-1.26). MHA outpatient visits were higher in females compared to males and MNO citizens aged 30 to 64 years versus older or younger citizens. Implications This study is the first to use population-level study to examine MHA health service use in Métis people. High-quality, contemporary data on the mental health outcomes of MNO citizens is crucial to inform MNO’s Mental Health and Addictions programming, resource allocation and emergency preparedness.

Поиск российской национальной идеи как фактор современной государственной молодёжной политики

This article is devoted to the analysis of one of the key problems of the strategy of modern Russian state youth policy. This is the problem of sustainable dominance in youth policy of the motives of state charity (systematic investments of budget funds in solving current problems of youth, in general, or of individual groups) over the motives of national-state interest (ensuring the sovereignty and security of the country, solving the problems of its economic development) throughout the post-Soviet era and up to the present day. The long and intensive search for the Russian national idea during this period did not significantly affect the structure of motives for cooperation between the state and its young citizens in issues of upbringing, education, professional guidance and value choice. The author sees the reason that youth policy ideologically developed on its own and the search for a national idea did not fill it with any fundamentally new meanings in specific technology of such searches as political technology. The specificity reveals itself in the fact that the search was aimed at maximizing the improvement of the theoretical doctrine, designed to become a new Russian national idea, at giving it original form and content. At the same time, issues of applying such a theoretical doctrine to solve practical problems of internal Russian social policy and, in particular, state youth policy were excluded from the discussion. Today there is a turn in Russian politics: institutions and practices common to liberal democracies are increasingly filled with a conservative-patriotic meaning. The resumption, in this regard, of the search for the Russian national idea may repeat the fate of previous experiments in this direction. In this case, the motives of youth policy do not form a significant connection with national-state interests and the prospect of bringing it through the efforts of its subjects to some qualitatively new level will once again be postponed indefinitely.

Precarious employment as a central axis of emerging adulthood among young working-class Palestinian women in Israel

ABSTRACT This study presents findings from qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) conducted among young working-class Palestinian women citizens of Israel who were interviewed as high school students working in precarious employment and again five years later as they entered emerging adulthood. The study examined precarious employment during high school as a central axis that shapes the features of emerging adulthood over time among young working-class Palestinian women, within the dynamic between culture (traditional expectations) and education (self-realization). QLR makes it possible to examine the structures of barriers and resources at the intersection of gender, class, and ethnonationality over time. Employing the theoretical frameworks of vulnerability and precarity reveals that the features of emerging adulthood are anchored in economic, political, and cultural structures. Reliance on precarious employment and exploitative work environments during adolescence has far-reaching consequences throughout emerging adulthood. Young women are in a state of perpetual responsibility, doubly tasked with escaping poverty and pursuing higher education.

Getting Everyone Jazzed about Electrochemistry: How Education in Electrochemistry Jump-Starts Citizen Science

As a science, electrochemistry (and methods therein) is one of the oldest methods of probing the world around us. Electrochemistry has witnessed tremendous growth in the past half-century. The science continues to be central to several areas of study, from materials science to biology to chemistry and beyond. Critical to the growth of electrochemistry as a field are robust pedagogical tools that introduce students to the joys of seeing the world through the goggles of an electrochemist. This talk will detail our group's strategy at developing pedagogical tools ranging from rather simple ways of building instrumentation to teaching our colleagues important historical insights. Electrochemistry must also be accessible to young students and senior citizens to cement its bright future as a foundational science, and we will discuss our activities to reach such groups to forge a foundation for citizen science.

Incidence of hearing loss following COVID-19 among young adults in South Korea: a nationwide cohort study

The association of COVID-19 with hearing loss (HL) is unclear among young adults and needs to be investigated. This study was conducted to determine the association of COVID-19 with HL and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in young adults. This nationwide population-based cohort study used data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency-COVID-19-National Health Insurance Service. The study population consisted of young adult citizens aged 20-39 years without a history of HL. All participants were followed up from July 1, 2022 until HL, death, or December 31, 2022. A positive diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was determined through laboratory testing employing real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays using nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs. The primary and secondary outcomes were HL and SSNHL, respectively. Age, sex, household income, Charlson comorbidity index, COVID-19 vaccination, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia-adjusted subdistribution hazard ratios (aSHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated using the Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard regression model, considering overall death as a competing event to compare the aSHRs between COVID-19 positive and negative groups. A total of 6,716,879 young adults were eligible for the analyses. During 40,260,757 person-months (PMs) of follow-up, 38,269 cases of HL and 5908 cases of SSNHL were identified. The risk of HL (incidence: 11.9 versus 3.4/10,000PMs; SHR, 3.51; 95% CI, 3.39-3.63; aSHR, 3.44; 95% CI, 3.33-3.56; P<0.0001) and SSNHL (incidence: 1.8 versus 0.5/10,000PMs; SHR, 3.58; 95% CI, 3.29-3.90; aSHR, 3.52; 95% CI, 3.23-3.83; P<0.0001) was higher in COVID-19 group as compared to no COVID-19 group. In the sensitivity analyses that evaluated HL and SSNHL risks after adopting multiple imputations, utilizing inverse probability of treatment weighting, limiting study population to the cohort with a health screening examination, the results were consistent to the primary analysis. Our findings suggest a heightened risk of HL and SSNHL following COVID-19 in young adults. Due to study limitations, including the lack of objective audiological data, issues with generalizability to other populations, and the retrospective design, careful interpretation is necessary. Further studies with objective audiological data and a longer follow-up period are warranted. IITP (Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation; IITP-2024- RS-00156439) and Jeju National University Hospital Research Fund (2023).

Design With, Not For, Local Community: Utilizing e-Participation Tools in the Design of Socially Sustainable Vertical Emirati Public Housing

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is slowly transitioning from traditional single-family public housing to a ‘vertical’ typology to meet the increasing demand on public housing, solve the problem of the scarcity of land in urban areas, and contribute to achieving its local agenda for sustainable development goals. However, the direct involvement of Emirati residents in the design process of the recently developed limited number of vertical public housing projects has been missing. This research aims to involve a sample of Emirati residents, representing the targeted category for vertical public housing, in the pre-occupancy evaluation of the design of Al Ghurfa, the very recently developed vertical public housing project, focusing mainly on assessing the attainment of social sustainability in this design. The research method included four phases, including initiating a conceptual framework from relevant literature reviews, digitalizing the case study design, developing the conventional and e-Participation interview scenarios and scripts, and selecting a sample of Emirati young citizens who participated in the study. The results of the study successfully highlighted the participating residents’ preferences and concerns regarding the design of the investigated pioneering vertical public housing project. The findings revealed the interviewed citizens’ perceptions of the investigated social sustainability principles in the vertical housing design pertaining to mixed-use development within and outside the vertical residential building, social integration among neighbors of the building, vertical and horizontal accessibility inside and outside the building, security measures for the residents of the buildings and their privacy, design measures of the high-quality living environments, the user-responsive design of the housing units, and the importance of their involvement in the design. This helped propose a set of recommended design actions for attaining social sustainability in vertical housing design tailored to the specific needs of Emirati residents. The research has also revealed the successful merger between the conventional and advanced e-Participation tools in involving the residents in assessing the professional design of vertical public housing as a new emerging typology that is expected to prevail in the near future.

How To Engage Young Citizens?

The “Youth Vote+” program aimed to empower young people with skills and knowledge, equipping them to actively participate in civic life.

Pedagogy with a heartbeat: The transformative potential of citizen science in education

Over the past few years, we have worked together in a citizen science project called Diamonds on the Soles of our Feet (see also Goldin et al. 2021, Goldin et al., 2023). In this project we engaged with 420 young learners in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. We came to see participating schools as collaborative ecosystems where young citizens become entangled with water through experiential encounters that make science alive and relevant. Through our engagement with citizen science, we experienced the transformative power of affect and the relevance of emotions in education as a social and political project. In our pedagogy we depart from the idea that human beings are separate from the biosphere, thus recognising the interdependency of all life forms on earth. We believe that keeping science education in laboratories and libraries affirms what Bozalek and Zemblyas (2023) call “privileged irresponsibility”. We propose that citizen science and its transformative potential can be one way to redress such irresponsibility. Through impactful encounters with human – nonhuman entanglement and the emotions which are evoked in this process, citizen science can create opportunities for responseability (Bozalek &amp; Zemblyas, 2023), through teaching and learning with the heart. Such entanglement also resonates with relationality as the currency of care theorists. In the context of our citizen science work, caring for unfamiliar others is a form of non-humancentred care with unfamiliar water bodies in which the binary of inside-outside learning becomes porous as the geographies of water penetrate the classroom walls. In Diamonds on the Soles of our Feet, we noted how watery spaces and images move back and forth caring-with and through human bodies – waterbodies to school, school to waterbodies. The entanglement with the nonhuman resonates with Massumi’s (2015) notion of becoming where there is an unrolling of an event that is a becoming of two together.

Chasing balloons as scientific practice: On transformative cocreation and epistemic ethics of care in the emerging field of youth citizen social science

How does including youth in research within a citizen social science framework challenge and transform our participatory action research practices and approaches? Through a storying journey we unravel how the training and subsequent conducting of a co-creative research process with young citizen social scientists are evolving from a cacophony of traditions, approaches and disciplines, among them youth participatory action research, action research in organizations, citizen science and social anthropology. The article is based on empirical research with a group of young people in Oslo, Norway, involved in a large collaborative citizen social science project on social inclusion of youth in Europe. We have witnessed closely how an epistemic ethics of care is integral to securing the epistemic justice of youth and argue that citizen social science can promote both epistemic justice and epistemic abundance by including youth in all parts of a rigorous research process that produces new scientific knowledge. Yet, we found that performing an ethics of care is (close to) impossible within the current conditions and structures of social sciences, as our ideals and views on what science is, delimit the practices of relational care necessary for inclusive processes. The implications of our findings call for an ethics of care framework for both citizen social science and action research practices.